bow hunting from a ground blind??

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natvbearhntr
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bow hunting from a ground blind??

Unread postby natvbearhntr » Wed Jun 13, 2012 2:05 am

i've been thinking of trying to hunt from a ground blind this year but to be honest feel a little intimadated with being at the same level as a "curious" bear. Has anyone had any experience with bear hunting from a ground blind? We've all seen the video where a bear will actually climb a ladder stand so what do you do when a curious bear decides to stick it's head in open window of a ground blind? Would a mother bear and cubs make for a more dangerous situation if on the ground? I'd hate to have to shoot a bear I'd normally pass on because I put myself in a bad situation. I was just hoping to hear from people with experience. Thanks


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Re: bow hunting from a ground blind??

Unread postby kenn1320 » Wed Jun 13, 2012 4:28 am

Ive seen it on TV plenty of times, I wouldnt worry about it.
"Its about taking the right shot at the right time with good equipment." Dan Infalt
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Re: bow hunting from a ground blind??

Unread postby dan » Wed Jun 13, 2012 4:35 am

They will certainly come over and check you out. Generally they will get close, smell you and spook.
If your objective is to kill a nice bear, the treestand is by far a better method. Especially when dealing with old smart pressured Mid-western bears who like to check baits out with there nose before approaching.
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Re: bow hunting from a ground blind??

Unread postby natvbearhntr » Wed Jun 13, 2012 6:39 am

Ok Dan that was one of my concerns with being up in the tree stand. Seemed I could never draw in the old smart bear and I was stuck with the 250 pounders that would come in. On camera I have a few larger bear but they only come at dark. I thought by being on the ground inside a blind it would cover my scent a little more.
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Re: bow hunting from a ground blind??

Unread postby dan » Wed Jun 13, 2012 7:00 am

Negative... Your going to do better out of a tree. If your having issues getting the older bigger bears to come in during daylight you need to look closer at your set up location. Exact positioning of a bear bait site is more critical than one would think. You need to take two things into account...
1) How can you assure the bear won't smell or detect you while hunting.
2) Will a big bear feel comfortable approaching this area in daylight.

#1 can be accomplished by having your wind blow over an opening, water, or somewhere else the bear likely won't go. It can also be accomplished by getting the stand position so your scent will likely blow above where the bear could potentially scent you... Like a bait on a high spot with your wind blowing over a valley.

#2 can be accomplished by baiting very close to where a big bear will feel comfortable sleeping during the day, and with plenty of cover to make him feel safe. You also need to have a predictable baiting routine the bears get used to.
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Re: bow hunting from a ground blind??

Unread postby natvbearhntr » Wed Jun 13, 2012 7:04 am

I will work on the stand location. The way it is setup now the bear have to actually walk past me to get to the bait, well 90% of the time any way. I will setup beyond the bait. Another bear hunter told me if I wanted to keep the bear away at night to setup a radio and play the radio at night and turn it off in the morning. Have you ever heard of anything like this?
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Re: bow hunting from a ground blind??

Unread postby Bowhunting Brian » Wed Jun 13, 2012 7:40 am

I wouldn't worry, if a bear does come in, all you have to do is rub his belly. they love that. otherwise, bring some of the bear pepper spray for safety if it makes you feel more comfortable.
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Re: bow hunting from a ground blind??

Unread postby dan » Wed Jun 13, 2012 8:43 am

natvbearhntr wrote:I will work on the stand location. The way it is setup now the bear have to actually walk past me to get to the bait, well 90% of the time any way. I will setup beyond the bait. Another bear hunter told me if I wanted to keep the bear away at night to setup a radio and play the radio at night and turn it off in the morning. Have you ever heard of anything like this?

Playing a radio all night is more likely to spook the bear, or make him go to another persons bait.
The area I hunt in Minnesota for example is over run with bear hunters / guides. 99% of the hunters there are hunting with guides because of the remote area and the hassle of baiting that far away from home. Anywho, I hear nothing but complaints from the guides, and hunters about not seeing bears, night hitting bears, and the lack of big bears... But I have multiple big bears hitting my baits in daylight. Last year I took Chad with me bear hunting and we set up 6 bait sites for us. We put a camera on each bait. We had big bears hitting each bait, and doing so in daylight. I shot a chocolate on day #2, Chad shot a big boar 1st day in the early afternoon. He lefty the bait to come get me for help after shooting his, and the camera showed an even bigger bear hit just after he left.
When we got to town on day 3 to register before heading out we ran into the two main outfitters. One said he had over 30 guys, the other said around 20. One of them had one guy see a bear and pass it, the other guy had two small bears down. They said cameras are showing all night time hits.
When they saw our bears they freaked out and said "you guys are really lucky!" And the one guy said he had never seen a bear shot up there the size of Chads... Little did they know we are hunting in the same area, and every bait had bears hitting in daylight the size of Chads...

Its all about proper scouting, and putting the stand in the exact spot it needs to be in... Guys think they bait the bears tyo go to the spot they want to kill them, but you need to bring the bait ( and good bait ) to the bears... ;) The truth is, those outfitters seem to have baits that are just randomly placed within 100 yaRDS OF A ROAD, and just anywhere they find a game trail...
If your not getting daytime hits on your bait, you need to relocate it. Ground blinds, radios, and crossing your fingers ain't going to change the situation.
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Re: bow hunting from a ground blind??

Unread postby Schultzy » Wed Jun 13, 2012 4:46 pm

The way it is setup now the bear have to actually walk past me to get to the bait, well 90% of the time any way
Always If your able try to stay on the opposite side or off to the side of the bait the bear are coming from. Also try to hunt with the wind going the opposite direction the bear are coming from. Also from the sounds of It your bear are bedding a long ways away. That's most likely the reason your getting night time hits being hunting season and hunting pressure hasn't even started yet.
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Re: bow hunting from a ground blind??

Unread postby natvbearhntr » Thu Jun 14, 2012 7:13 am

Thanks Guys for taking the time with all the information. This is only my 3rd year hunting bear so I am still learning. I actually had large bear hitting the bait until the season opened then they were gone. On one pictures I have a picture of a large bear then 2 or 3 minutes later a picture of a collared wolf.


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